1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pressurized gas storage and gas dispensing system, useful in an applications such as manufacturing semiconductor materials and devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wide variety of industrial processes and applications, there is a need for a reliable source of process gas(es).
Such process and application areas include semiconductor manufacturing, ion implantation, manufacture of flat panel displays, medical intervention and therapy, water treatment, emergency breathing equipment, welding operations, space-based delivery of liquids and gases, etc.
The present invention provides such a reliable source of gas having particular suitability for use in semiconductor manufacturing facilities to provide on-demand supply of gases, such as halocompound gases (e.g., BF3, F2, etc.), hydride gases (e.g., arsine, phosphine, etc.) and gaseous organometallic source reagents.
Art in the field of gas storage and dispensing systems includes the apparatus and methods described in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,221 issued May 17, 1988 to Karl O. Knollmueller (storage and dispensing of arsine, sorptively stored on a 5-15 Angstrom pore size zeolite and dispensed by heating the zeolite to elevated temperature to desorb the arsine);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,528 issued May 21, 1996 in the names of Glenn M. Tom and James V. McManus (gas storage and dispensing system for gas sorptively held on a physical sorbent medium at low pressure, and dispensed by pressure differential-mediated desorption of gas from the sorbent medium);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,895 issued Aug. 17, 1999 in the names of David A. LeFebre and Thomas B. Martin, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,609 issued Dec. 28, 1999 in the names of Roy V. Semerdjian, David A. LeFebre and Thomas B. Martin, Jr. (pressurized vessel with regulator in the form of a dispensing check valve and a capillary tube flow restriction arrangement for fluid dispensing);
prior copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/067,393 filed Apr. 28, 1998 in the names of Luping Wang and Glenn M. Tom and prior copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/300,994 filed Apr. 28, 1999 in the names of Luping Wang and Glenn M. Tom (fluid storage and gas dispensing system including a storage and dispensing vessel having a fluid pressure regulator arranged so that fluid dispensed from the vessel flows through the regulator to downstream flow control means);
U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,860 to Stenner (a manually adjustable regulator valve for a liquid propane cartridge, including a regulator diaphragm and actuating spring assembly);
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,242 to Coffre et al. (a pressure reducer for supplying electronic grade gas, including a bellows and inlet valve, with a solid particles filter disposed between the bellows and a low pressure outlet);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,359 to Ollivier (a diaphragm-based pressure regulator for a high pressure gas cylinder, wherein a valve is positioned in the regulator for adjustably throttling the flow of pressurized fluid);
U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,998 to Baranowski, Jr. (a calibratable pressure regulator in which leaf spring fasteners are utilized to retain the regulator components in position);
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,412 to Mays (a pressure reducing valve for high pressure gas containers, including a pair of valve elements for dispensing low pressure throttled fluid);
U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,346 to Wormser (pressure regulator featuring a U-ring seal poppet assembly);
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,379 to Eidsmore (button-operated valve for main shut-off and flow control of a pressurized gas cylinder, using magnetic actuation of valve components);
U.S. Pat. No. 2,615,287 to Senesky (a gas pressure regulator including diaphragm and diaphragm-clamping member elements);
U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,986 to Martin (pressurized gas flow control valve including pressure regulator and responsive poppet valve structure);
U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,962 to Baumann et al. (pressurized gas fuel metering device including sintered metal pellet flow element);
U.S. Pat. No. 1,679,826 to Jenkins (fluid pressure regulator for high pressure container, utilizing diaphragm element and gas filtering means comprising a felt strip);
U.S. Pat. No. 2,354,283 to St. Clair (fluid pressure regulator for liquefied petroleum gas tanks, comprising pressure actuated diaphragm with flow restrictor structure to minimize vibration);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,713 to Lhomer et al. (gas flow control dispensing assembly including piston-type pressure regulator and block reducer/regulator means);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,192 to Amidzich (valve assembly for relieving excess gas pressure in a container, comprising sealing ring/spring assembly);
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,602 to Cannet et al. (gas control and dispensing assembly for a pressurized gas tank, including reducer and regulator means with indexed flowmeter valve);
U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,504 to Webster (valve for pressurized fluid container including pressure reducer and regulator and spring bias closure means);
U.S. Pat. No. 1,659,263 to Harris (regulator for pressurized gas cylinder including a diaphragm and anti-friction washer between diaphragm and annular seat of regulator);
U.S. Pat. No. 2,047,339 to Thomas (liquefied petroleum gas storage apparatus including flow control unit and leakage prevention valve); and
U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,674 to Baumann et al. (detachable burner assembly for container of pressurized liquefied combustible gas, including a regulator valve assembly).
The present invention relates to a system for storage and dispensing of a pressurized gas, for use in applications such as manufacturing semiconductor products.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to a fluid storage and dispensing system, comprising:
a gas storage and dispensing vessel enclosing an interior volume for holding pressurized gas, wherein the vessel includes a port;
a valve head mounted in the vessel port;
a gas dispensing assembly coupled in gas flow communication with the valve head;
a gas pressure regulator in the interior volume of the vessel, positioned below the valve head and arranged to maintain a predetermined pressure of gas discharged from the vessel;
the gas dispensing assembly being selectively actuatable to flow gas from the interior volume of the vessel, through the gas pressure regulator, the valve head and the gas dispensing assembly, for discharge of the gas from the vessel.
In one aspect of such system, the aforementioned gas pressure regulator is a first gas pressure regulator, and the system further includes a second gas pressure regulator in the interior volume of the vessel, joined in series relationship with the first gas pressure regulator.
In a specific embodiment of such two-regulator array, the first gas pressure regulator is joined at a discharge end thereof to a first particulate filter and the second gas pressure regulator is joined at its inlet end to a second particulate filter.
Another specific embodiment of such two-regulator arrangement includes the first particulate filter, first gas pressure regulator, second gas pressure regulator and second particulate filter being in coaxial alignment with one another in the interior volume of the vessel.
Other aspects, features and embodiments in the invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.